Solana Fine Art’s Myth & Majesty features Carlos Gamez de Francisco’s regal portraits of everyday individuals, surreal equine-human hybrids and one of his favorite subjects, insects, which quietly communicate freedom, chaos or balance. Gamez de Francisco, who was raised in Cuba, began painting as a youngster with improvised materials. “Through images and symbols,” he says, “I could express what I could never say aloud.” | Courtesy Solana Fine Art
CARLOS GAMEZ DE Francisco arrived in the United States at age 21 knowing no English and carrying $650 in his pocket. He spent $600 on art supplies and $50 on a pair of Cortez running shoes. Now, nearly 15 years later, the daring and resilient painter, whose work is on display in Myth & Majesty at Solana Fine Art, could be described as the embodiment of the American Dream. His thought-provoking exhibition will run through May 31.
Says Bob Jimenez, founder and gallerist at Solana: “It was clear that Carlos’s philosophy aligned beautifully with our mission: to present artists whose work is technically exceptional, emotionally resonant and intellectually engaging.”
Gamez de Francisco, who grew up in Cuba, says that as a youngster he was surrounded by silence where music and expression should have been. Western bands were forbidden and such Cuban bands as the Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz were exiled. Certain words were dangerous to use.
Dreaming of a life as an artist wasn’t practical. And yet, by age 5, Gamez de Francisco could dream of nothing else. By age 15, he was painting eight hours a day with improvised materials—mixing watercolor with toothpaste for texture, substituting diesel oil for linseed oil and creating images on his mother’s blankets primed with house paint.
“Painting became my sanctuary, my resistance, and my escape—a place where I could invent new realities,” he says. “Through images and symbols, I could express what I could never say aloud.”
Gamez de Francisco views his artistic calling and practice “as invitation to embrace art as freedom, to find wonder in experimentation, and to remember that even in the darkest circumstances, the act of creating is a revolutionary joy.”
His work—which has been exhibited in galleries from Louisville, Kentucky, to Carmel, California (and even in Cuba)—bridges classical portraiture and contemporary storytelling, making statements filled with symbolism.
The 30 works on display in Myth & Majesty include his regal portraits of everyday individuals, surreal equine-human hybrids and one of his favorite subjects, insects, which quietly communicate freedom, chaos or balance.
Jimenez hopes that visitors to the gallery will experience the same awe he did when he was introduced to Gamez de Francisco’s works while scrolling on Instagram. “I remember very distinctly stopping mid-scroll and just staring,” he recalls. “It was unlike anything I had seen before. The work felt grounded in classical mastery, yet it opened a portal into imagination—into myth, magic, and wonder.”
An opening reception for Myth & Majesty is slated for Friday, May 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. An intimate artist talk is planned for Saturday, May 2, at 11 a.m., where guests can dive deeper into Gamez de Francisco’s symbolism, process and personal journey.
Solana Fine Art is located at 1104 Solana Avenue, Winter Park. For more information, visit solanafineart.com or call 321.972.1774.
